Disaster in Hungary puts Seoul in emergency mode

President Moon Jae-in chairs an emergency meeting at Cheong Wa Dae the day after a sightseeing boat collided with another larger vessel, capsized and sank on the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday (local time). Yonhap

President Moon asks Hungarian PM for 'continuous updates'

By Kim Yoo-chul

President Moon Jae-in ordered “full-scale” efforts and the mobilization of “all available resources and measures” to help support rescue work in Budapest, Hungary, after a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists capsized on the Danube River, Wednesday (local time).

“The government should respond to the accident swiftly and quickly. Time is what matters the most. All options in assisting rescue operations should be considered in collaboration with the authorities in Hungary,” presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said in a statement quoting President Moon, Thursday.

The statement added the President held an “emergency meeting” from 11:45 a.m. at Cheong Wa Dae to explore all possible measures. Attending the meeting were National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, National Intelligence Service (NIS) head Suh Hoon and other senior government officials.

Moon directed Minister Kang to “immediately” dispatch a team of 18 officials to Hungary.

“I want the foreign ministry to send a team of 18 officials, all of whom should be experienced and highly-skilled in conducting rescue operations under tough conditions, to support rescue work and help in the search operation,” he said, according to the statement.

The President directed Kang to head up a central disaster and safety countermeasures office, to ensure smooth dialogue with the victims and their families.

This combination of photos show Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Moon Jae-in. Moon held a telephone conversation with Orban Thursday evening (KST) asking the Hungarian government to provide full information regarding rescue operations for South Korean tourists who are still missing after a sightseeing boat capsized in the Danube River, Wednesday (local time). Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

In a 15 minutes telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Thursday evening (KST), President Moon asked for continuous updates on rescue operations and efforts to find all the missing South Korean tourists, Cheong Wa Dae said in a separate statement.

“I had no option but to make this call quickly. I so appreciate your concerted efforts for rescue operations right after the accident occurred. The South Korean government has dispatched a rapid response team. All of the members are highly-skilled and experienced. We hope they are able to team up with Hungarian rescue teams to help advance the search operation,” Moon told Orban. Orban said his government had dispatched some 200 emergency personnel including divers and medical staff to the site.

Moon canceled a planned luncheon with government officials at the presidential office. Another senior presidential aide said the NSO chief held four teleconference calls with the foreign and defense ministers. “All details discussed have been reported to President Moon,” the aide said.

The South Korean Embassy in Hungary has also created an emergency team to share the latest updates about the rescue efforts with Cheong Wa Dae.

Politicians and political parties also asked the government to speed up efforts to find the tourists who are still missing. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan canceled a planned luncheon meeting with economic ministers. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, also called for the foreign ministry to rescue all the missing tourists.

Na said at a party meeting that the opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) would reschedule a visit to Cheong Wa Dae to protest a recent meeting between President Moon's top confidant Yang Jung-chul and NIS chief Suh, which it claimed violated an NIS law prohibiting the spy chief from participating in any political activities. “The party's top priority is to get the missing tourists home safely,” she said at the start of the meeting.

In a briefing, Thursday afternoon, the foreign ministry said seven South Koreans were confirmed dead in the boat collision on the Danube. “We are in the process of confirming their identities,” it added.

Minister Kang left for Budapest to observe the rescue operations and closely cooperate with Hungarian officials. The ministry said Seoul diplomats in Hungary learned the tourists weren't wearing lifejackets at the time of the collision, adding it was “customary” for passengers on the sightseeing boats not to wear them.

The boat was on its way back from an hour-long night tour when it collided with a larger vessel boat that caused it to capsize, Very Good Tour, the South Korean travel agency in charge of the tour, said.